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The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Charlie Flanagan, TD, will travel to Brussels today (Thursday) to attend an extraordinary meeting of EU Foreign Ministers to discuss the escalation of violence in Eastern Ukraine.

Speaking in advance of the meeting, Minister Flanagan said:

“I am seriously concerned by the recent alarming escalation of violence in Ukraine and in particular, by the horrific rocket attack on the city of Mariupol at the weekend in which 30 civilians lost their lives.

“I welcome the decision by the EU High Representative Federica Mogherini to convene an extraordinary meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council to consider the EU’s response, including possible further restrictive measures. I believe this meeting is timely and warranted by the seriousness of recent events.”

The Minister continued:

“I call on Russia to use its considerable influence over the separatists to bring an end to the violence and to ensure that the commitments of the Minsk agreements are respected and fully implemented.”

“It is important now that there is an immediate halt to the military operations in Eastern Ukraine”